Making your own arrangements, now, gives everyone you care about a gift, later. When people are grieving, it is sometimes hard to think straight and remember the little things that are often the most meaningful. So write it down! Do the work for those you love, sparing them the details and giving you the chance to state exactly what you want.
Every year more than 460,000 Americans die from heart attack, with approximately half of these individuals dying before they get to a hospital. While a heart attack can be a frightening experience, knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and what steps to take can ensure the individual receives timely, life-saving medical care.
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Eventually it destroys the ability to carry out even the simplest tasks. Alzheimer’s is not something everyone will have, but with our aging baby boomer population, it may become what some have called “the disease of the 21st century”. For those over 65, the possibility of contracting Alzheimer’s doubles about every five years.
Without a crystal ball, none of us can know when or if we’ll ever need help taking care of ourselves. Whether from a short or long term situation caused from a bad fall, dementia, stroke, or any other debilitating medical condition, we may one day not be able to feed ourselves, bathe, dress, go to the bathroom without help, or make sound, safe decisions while performing our daily activities.
Recently, an ad ran in our local newspaper proclaiming, “Hip replacements without replacing your hip!” While this might seem like a plausible claim in our age of amazing technological innovations such as pocket-sized computers and sophisticated cell phones, in reality, it’s not quite that simple. Hip resurfacing—the new surgical procedure touted in the advertisement—has actually been employed by orthopaedic surgeons for more than 40 years as a treatment for hip arthritis.
Many of us have faced the dilemma of whether or not to attend funeral services for someone we knew or send a floral arrangement instead. Sometimes we see the necessity in doing both. But when the decision is to do one or the other, what factors do we use in arriving at our conclusion?
Most people who have worked hard all their lives to accumulate assets generally desire those assets to be left to their children in the most beneficial way. However, for some adult children, a large inheritance of assets could be dangerous, both to the children and for the assets. This article summarizes some of the estate planning strategies you can use to protect the assets from the children themselves, their creditors, their spouses, scam artists, and any number of other threats.
When evaluating a patient for a mobility device it is important for both parties to discuss all the needs of the patient as well as the intended use of the equipment. Sure, Medicare requires that its beneficiaries require a manual or power wheelchair for use in their home before Medicare will consider payment. But, it is essential to remember that home is not the only place the mobility device may be used. A motorized wheelchair or scooter may be the only way a patient can be independent with their mobility-related aids to daily living (MRALDs), so a manual wheelchair may not be an option. The patient should be informed regarding the requirements to transport the motorized device, and that Medicare will not pay for a vehicle lift, manual wheelchair or transport chair for use outside the home.
At least once a week someone will come to my office anxious to move their loved one to our community because they are dissatisfied with the care provided at another facility. I listen to their list of complaints and then ask them how the other facility responded when they shared their concerns with them. Most people quickly respond that they didn’t feel comfortable expressing their concerns to the staff, so they decided to move their parent to another facility instead. Whether your loved one is receiving home health services, visiting a doctor, confined to a hospital or recovering in a skilled nursing facility you can improve communication with the care providers to ensure that your family member gets the best care.
What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance found in the cells of your body and blood. It comes from your diet and is also produced by the body. Total cholesterol in the blood includes various components including HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Cholesterol has an important role in the overall healthy functioning of the body. The body needs the right level of cholesterol to function properly, but too high levels of cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
